Michigan

Upscale grocers to battle in Ann Arbor market

"The parking is a pain at Whole Foods, and we love Hiller's, and Bello Vino, where the prices are fabulous, but we have to drive too far to get there. There's nothing upscale on this part of town."- Ann Arbor resident Susan Romano who is looking forward to Plum Market's opening.

BY JO COLLINS MATHISThe Ann Arbor News

The stage is being set for the battle of the upscale grocers with Ann Arbor's health-conscious, tofu-eating crowd the prize.

Plum Market, operated by the same family that owned the former Merchant of Vino chain, announced Wednesday that it will open the doors of its newest store on Thursday, Feb. 7, in Ann Arbor's Maple Village shopping center.

Meanwhile, Whole Foods Market has completed the demolition inside the former Mervyn's space in Cranbrook Village, on Eisenhower Parkway and Ann Arbor-Saline Road. The interior work is underway on what will become the chain's second Ann Arbor location and its largest Michigan store.

Both stores offer natural, organic and specialty foods.

"We can't wait to open this store, and for Plum Market to become an active part of the unique community that is Ann Arbor," said Matthew Jonna, who co-founded the store with his brother. "We're looking forward to creating an environment where friends and neighbors can shop, share, and just generally have a great experience," he said in a written statement.

The opening of Plum Market is a homecoming of sorts for the Jonna brothers.
Their parents, Edward and Juliette, were the founders of the Merchant of Vino stores, which included a location at in the Plymouth Road Mall at Plymouth Road and Huron Parkway.

Merchant of Vino merged with Whole Foods Market on East Stadium Boulevard in 1997, then in September moved to a new, larger Whole Foods store on Washtenaw Avenue.

The popular Bello Vino food market now occupies the former Merchant of Vino space, offering its own high-end line of groceries, wine and beer.

Plum Market's first location opened in March 2007 in Bloomfield Township and another is being built in Royal Oak. The store focuses on local, natural, organic and specialty products and the Ann Arbor location will include:

• Sushi prepared fresh in the store daily.

• Extensive wine and cheese departments.

• A salad bar with more than 40 ingredient choices alongside house-prepared salads, and a hot entree bar.

• An in-store bakehouse.

• A large floral department, a coffee and espresso bar and a pharmacy.
Parking has been a big problem at Whole Foods since the store moved from its smaller location - now occupied by Trader Joe's - in 2003.

Rather than spend millions of dollars expanding parking, Whole Foods decided to open a second store and have a west-side presence.

The new Whole Foods will employ nearly 200 people, some of who will transfer from the Washtenaw store.

David Lewis, Whole Foods' executive operations coordinator for Michigan, said the store should open in late August. And he promises lots of parking.

"I personally counted those spaces myself," he said with a laugh, noting the more than 800 spaces, or about twice as many as the Washtenaw Avenue site.

"We will have new and exciting things at the new store, including a wine bar," he said.

Susan Romano lives on the west side of town and said she is thrilled that Plum Market will soon open a mile away.

"The parking is a pain at Whole Foods, and we love Hiller's, and Bello Vino, where the prices are fabulous, but we have to drive too far to get there," she said. "There's nothing upscale on this part of town."

The fact that Plum Market is Michigan-based is a bonus, she said, considering the economy.